Happy Christmas
by hypotheticalfanfic
Summary: Ginny and Luna go home  sort of  for Christmas. Ginny/Luna.


"Ginny!" Luna yelled across their tiny flat. "Ginny, I need my boots, where are they?"

"How should I know, Luna, they're not my boots after all, and if you ever put them in the closet like I do you'd be able to find them when you needed them, now wouldn't you?" Ginny smiled to herself as she finished stuffing wrapped presents into the small traveling bag on their bed. "And hurry up, please, we're already running late and you know how Hermione gets when we're late."

"Found them, finally, no thanks to you," Luna grumbled as she came into their bedroom. "I don't know why we have to go to Hogsmeade anyway, it's the day before Christmas and there are going to be far too many people. What was Hermione thinking, wanting to meet there?"

"Oh, don't be silly. She wants to see Neville, of course, and so do you. We never get to see him since he's been writing his book, and besides, it will be nice to see Hogwarts again." Ginny pulled her long red hair into a knot.

"I still think it's daft. We'll probably be crushed in the mob of shoppers."

"You know," Ginny said with a smile, "most people think you're some incredibly sweet girl with never a bad word to say about anyone."

Luna's clear blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, they do? If only they knew me as well as you do, Ginevra." She crossed the room, dropping her boots on the floor, and gathered the redhead into her arms.

—-

When they finally arrived in Hogsmeade, Hermione was already waiting for them at the train station. "Ginny! Luna! Over here, hurry. We're already late, thanks to your insistence on the train. Honestly, dear," she said, taking Luna's arm, "Floo powder is perfectly safe, even in my condition."

Ginny couldn't stop her hand from reaching out to Hermione's swelling belly. "Another redheaded little thing," she said wonderingly. "When will we meet this one?"

"Probably in March or April, this one was a bit of a surprise, you know, with Rose and Hugo all so much older." Hermione chattered on about the children as she steered them around the shops, where she bought sackloads of books and had them sent to the Burrow.

"Remember, we're all meeting there tomorrow afternoon for presents and dinner." She peered at Luna's face. "You will be coming, I trust? Not like last year, when you said you were sick and couldn't make it?"

"I _was_ sick, Hermione, honest." Luna felt her face flush red with the lie. Of course she hadn't been sick. She and Ginny had just started living together and she had been worried about the Weasleys. This year, though, she knew them well enough to know that they couldn't care less about any of it. "Anyway, I'm excited to see Charlie. You know he's working on crossbreeding a few of the Romanian dragon breeds to domesticate them?"

Ginny rolled her eyes as the trio began walking the path up to Hogwarts. "He's been talking about that project forever, Luna, it'll never happen. And anyway, Hermione, should you really be walking? We could hire a carriage, you know, or ride the boats."

Hermione's face turned slightly green. "The rocking makes me sick, I'm afraid. Please, if you don't wish to see me vomit, don't mention boats again. Ever."

—-

As they neared the doors of Hogwarts, Luna had a sudden thought. "Hermione, would you mind if I stopped out here for a moment? I just need to see something."

"Of course, dear, go ahead. This little beast is kicking my bladder anyway, so I could use a stop in the toilet."

Ginny looked confused as Luna led her out into a clearing near Hagrid's hut. "We're stopping to see Hagrid without Hermione?"

"No, no, he's inside already, helping with the feast. I just wanted to see…" She stopped in her tracks. There they were, the thestrals, looking almost happy to see her. "Hello, beauties," she whispered, reaching out her hand to them.

"Oh," Ginny said quietly, "oh, I see what you mean." She looked nervous, but at Luna's urging gave the nearest thestral a careful pat on the head. "You told me that you used to come see them all the time."

Luna nodded, stroking the neck of a small thestral. "Yes."

"When? Or, I mean, why did you come see them?"

"They were quiet. They didn't steal my things. Other people were afraid of them or never noticed them, so I felt…we were a lot alike, thestrals and me." Luna glanced over at Ginny. "I came here when I was sad, mostly. Sad about my mother or about not having friends, or about you."

Ginny flushed red. They hadn't ever discussed their school years, not out loud, because it was painful for Luna and uncomfortable for Ginny. Instead of discussing it now, Ginny let her thestral go, walked over to the blonde girl, and kissed her softly. "I'm sorry for all of it, love, you know that."

They were still kissing when the thestrals took off, surrounding them with the sounds of thumping wings and unearthly cries. At the noise, they dissolved into laughter and ran up to the castle, ready for their Christmas together.


End file.
